[from http://www.netlink.co.uk/users/pagat/tarot/dantarok.html ]
Tarok (Danish)
This description was contributed by Jens Brix Christiansen
Contents
* Summary
* Rules
+ Players and Equipment
+ The mechanics of the game
+ The fool
+ The discard (the skat)
+ The declarations
+ Scoring, payment
* Objective and Strategy
* Proprieties
* Logistics, The fourth player
* Irregularities during play - fines
* Danish Tarok compared with other Tarot games
* References
____________________________________________________________
Summary
Tarok (Danish style) is a game for three persons played with a
tarot deck of 78 cards. It is a trick taking game, where the
primary emphasis is on winning the last trick with one of five
designated cards (known as winning Ultimo), and there is
secondary emphasis on winning many tricks and winning counting
cards in the tricks. To play well, players need to form alliances
during the play, to keep track of the cards that have been
played, and to be able to play according to a well chosen plan.
Together, this makes the game difficult to learn to play well. It
thus embodies much of the intellectual challenge otherwise
associated with games like contract bridge.
____________________________________________________________
Rules
Players and Equipment
To play tarok you need three or four players, some tarok cards, a
supply of chips to keep score, and two containers to serve as the
pots.
Players
Although there are only three active players at a time, it is
quite usual for four people to take part in a tarok game. With
four people, the player sitting opposite the dealer takes no part
in the play.
Cards
A standard French tarot deck of 78 cards is used. There are
* four standard suits of 14 cards each,
* 21 trumps (tarok, pl. tarokker)
* one special card, the fool (skisen, scusen).
In the past, Tarok cards were made in Denmark for this game, but
since the second world war these have no longer been
manufactured, and Tarot cards imported from France are used
instead. Of course the exact appearance of the cards, though
interesting in its own right, is immaterial to the rules of the
game. The old Danish cards had no corner indices, but players
have become so used to the modern French cards, that cards
without corner markings are now considered too cumbersome for
practical play.
The standard suits, hearts, diamonds, spades and clubs each have
four court cards (honnør, pl honnører). The corner indices stand
for the French names of the cards, though in play the Danish
names are used:
[INLINE] [INLINE] [INLINE] [INLINE]
the king (konge) marked R for roi;
the queen (dame) marked D for dame;
the knight (kaval) marked C for cavalier;
the jack (knægt) marked V for valet.
Each suit also has the usual 10 spot cards (ladon, pl. ladoner)
marked with numbers 1 through 10.
In the black suits (spades and clubs) the cards are ranked from
high to low:
* R D C V 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1.
In the red suits (hearts and diamonds) the spot cards have the
opposite ranking; from high to low the cards rank:
* R D C V 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10.
The trumps are marked with the numbers 1 through 21, and are
ranked in numerical order with 21 highest and 1 lowest. In Italy,
where tarot games originated, all the trumps had special names;
only the names for the hoghest and lowest trumps have been
carried over into the Dannish game:
[INLINE] [INLINE]
the pagat is the 1 of trumps (the lowest trump) (pagaten) - from
the Italian bagatto
the mondo is the 21 of trumps (the highest trump) (mondo) -
unaltered from the Italian mondo
[INLINE]
The fool is not part of any suit. It is marked so as to
distinguish it from the other cards, often with a star.
In practice it is traditional to use two tarot packs, if possible
with different coloured backs, which are used to play alternate
hands. This saves some time, especially with four players. During
the play, the inactive player can shuffle the cards for the new
dealer, who can then start dealing while the players are still
settling up from the previous hand - see logistics.
Chips
The scoring is always done using tokens, or chips, rather than on
paper. Keeping score in writing, though possible, would be rather
inconvenient, because of the two pots, and the payments that are
made between players during the play of the hand.
It is best to use chips in denominations of 5, 20, 100 and
possibly 500, distinguished by different shapes or sizes. Ideally
all denominations should be available in three or four different
colours, so that each player can begin with a supply of chips of
their own colour. That way it is easy to see how much each player
has won or lost, and it is not necessary for each player to have
an equal number of chips at the start of the game.
The Pots
Two distinct receptacles are needed to hold the pagat pot and the
king pot. In the past there were purpose built pots marked with a
crown and a figure 1 respectively. Alternatively, you may use a
wide, shallow dish with a smaller bowl standing in the centre of
it (like a cup and saucer). The centre bowl is the king pot and
the dish is the pagat pot.
The mechanics of the game
The general direction of the game is counter-clockwise.
Dealing
The cards are dealt five at a time to the three active players,
until each has 25 cards. The dealer adds the remaining three
cards to his own hand.
Discarding
The dealer now discards (ekarterer) three of his cards. These
three cards are called the skat (skaten), and will not be used in
the play. The skat constitues the first three cards in the
dealer's trick pile.
Declaring
Certain combined holdings of court cards, trumps, and the fool
are called declarations (meldinger). Any valid combinations held
must be declared to the other players. Starting with the dealer,
each player declares his combinations in turn. The information
passed with the declarations have significant influence on the
strategy in the play.
Play
The player to the dealer's right leads to the first trick, and
play proceeds in counter-clockwise rotation. All players must
follow suit, playing any card they wish in the suit led (trumps
are considered as a separate suit). If a player cannot follow
suit, he must play a trump (any trump he wishes). If a player has
no cards in the suit led nor any trumps, he may play any card in
any other suit. The trick is won by the player contributing the
highest trump to the trick, or if no trump was played, by the
player contributing the highest card in the suit led. The three
cards in the trick are placed face down in front of the player
winning the trick. These rules do not apply to the fool; see
below. The player who wins a trick is on lead to the next trick.
The last trick
The prime focus of the game is on the last trick. In general, the
winner of a hand is the player who takes the last trick. Five
cards, i.e., the four kings and the pagat, are designated as
Ultimo cards. There is a considerable bonus for winning the last
trick with an Ultimo card; this is known as "winning Ultimo".
Playing an Ultimo card in the last trick without winning the
trick, on the other hand, is known in Danish as "Bagud"
(literally "going out the back way"). There is a penalty,
equivalent to the Ultimo bonus, for losing a Bagud.
For advice on how to win an Ultimo, or prevent someone else doing
so, see the strategy page.
End of play
The new dealer deals, while the two other players count their
trick piles (see scoring below).
The fool
The fool is a card with special properties during the play. The
fool is used to extend any suit by one card, possibly even after
the player holding the fool has not followed for several rounds
of that suit. This is formalized as follows:
* The fool can be played at any time, regardless of the suit
led and the player's holding in that suit or in trumps (but
see the rules below regarding the last three tricks).
* Until it is actually played, the fool does not belong to any
of the suits (including trumps). When it is led or played, it
becomes the lowest ranking card in the suit led to the trick.
When a player leads the fool, he names the suit intended.
(This is known as "naming the fool" (at benævne skisen))
Although the fool can never win a trick, for scoring purposes the
card is not lost to the winner of the trick:
* The fool is not surrendered to the player winning the trick;
instead it goes to the trick pile of the player playing it
(but see the rules below when the fool is played in the last
trick).
Special rules govern the way the fool is used in the end play.
They are probably intended to avoid giving the holder of the fool
undue advantages:
* The fool must never be played to the second to last trick.
* When the fool is in the last trick, it is added to the trick
pile of the player winning the trick.
* During the third to last trick, any player who does not hold
the fool may require that it be played. The play to this
trick is then taken back as far as necessary to comply with
this requirement. There is a penalty for requiring the fool
erroneously.
Some special, somewhat complicated rules apply to the naming of
the fool, when it is led. Their purpose is originally to prevent
the fool from ever winning a trick. These rules are seldom
needed.
* If the second player is void in the suit named for the fool,
he may make the statement, "I have no cards in that suit".
The third player then checks whether he has any cards in the
suit named, and makes a statement to that effect. If it turns
out that he too is void in the suit, the fool remains led,
but the second player has the right to name the fool.
* If the second player is void in the suit named for the fool
and plays to the trick anyway (which he may do either
inadvertently or on purpose), he loses the right to name the
fool. If now the third player is also void, he can claim the
right to name the fool. The second player will now usually
need to take his played card back in order to follow suit.
* If both the second and the third players show out on the suit
named for the fool instead of claiming the right to name the
fool, then they were obliged to play trumps if they had them,
and the higher trump wins the trick as usual. However, if
both the second and third players have run out of trumps,
then the card played by the second player automatically names
the fool, and the third player may have to take his played
card back in order to follow suit.
The discard (the skat)
The dealer may discard any three cards from his hand, subject to
the following restrictions.
* Unconditional rule: He may never discard a king or the mondo.
* Widely accepted rule: The fool must never be discarded. (But
see below).
* He may not discard a card that would otherwise be part of a
combination to be declared, except in the highly unlikely
case where it is impossible to avoid doing so. It is
generally accepted that he must then announce exactly what
cards he is discarding for this reason. It also seems to be
accepted that he receives payment for all combinations that
can be declared before he discards.
* He may discard one or more trumps only if he thereby becomes
void in trumps. During the play, when the dealer shows out in
trumps, any other player may ask if he discarded trumps and
if so how many. Note that the pagat (but not mondo) can be
discarded according to this rule. For the purpose of this
rule, the fool does not count as a trump.
* Disputed rule: The fool may be discarded only if the dealer
announces that he is playing for Tout and therefore needs to
discard the fool. The rule is disputed because it is unclear
what the consequences are if the player does not make an
announced Tout.
See the strategy section for advice on what to discard.
The declarations
Certain combinations of cards in a player's hand must be declared
before play starts. Declarations are made in rotation starting
with the dealer.
Trumps
A player holding 10 or more trumps must declare how many
he has. For this purpose, the fool counts as a trump. When
trumps are declared, the player must also mention whether
or not he holds the pagat. A sample declaration is "11
trumps, with the pagat" (11 tarokker med pagat); if there
are no other declarations, it is not revealed whether the
fool was one of the 11 trumps.
Matadors
3 matadors is the combination of the fool, mondo, and the
pagat. 4 matadors additionally includes the trump 20. 5
matadors additionally includes the trump 19, etc. A player
holding the fool, mondo, and the pagat must declare how
many matadors he holds.
Cavallerie
A player who holds four court cards of the same suit must
declare cavallerie of the suit. A typical declaration is
simply "full hearts" (fulde hjerter). If in addition to
the four court cards, he also holds the fool, he declares
abundant cavallerie, e.g., "abundant spades" (sprøjtefulde
spar). And if he holds three court cards of the same suit
and the fool, he declares half cavallerie and mentions
which court card he is missing, e.g. "half diamonds, no
knight" (halve ruder, mangler kaval).
Kings
A player holding all four kings must declare "full kings"
(fulde konger). With all four kings and the fool, he
declares "abundant kings" (sprøjtefulde konger). With
three kings and the fool, he declares "half kings" (halve
konger) and mentions the suit in which he is missing the
king.
Note: In Danish, "fuld" means both "full" and "drunk", and
"sprøjtefuld" is a somewhat outdated slangy expression for
"seriously intoxicated".
A player who has no declaration to make says "pass" (pas).
Scoring, payment
Scoring is done in terms of immediate payment in tokens. Payment
happens at several points during the game, and payment is
effected both directly among the players and with two pots (kop,
pl. kopper). All payment is in multiples of 5 units.
Each player has his own tokens (jeton, pl. jetoner). In addition
there are two pots, the pagat pot (pagatkoppen) and the king pot
(kongekoppen), which each contain some tokens. Payments are made
at the following points during the game.
1. Foundation (fundering)
At the very beginning of the game, each player contributes 20 to
each pot. Subsequently, whenever a pot is emptied, each player
contributes 20 to that pot. If there are four players, these
foundation payments are also made the player who is sitting out;
this is the only payment required of a player sitting out.
2. Dealing
The dealer pays 5 to each pot. This can be construed as payment
for the privilege of choosing and knowing the contents of the
skat. It can also be taken as payment for the privilege of the
much higher likelihood of getting a good hand because of the
extra three cards.
3. Declaring
When a player makes an (obligatory) declaration, the other two
players pay him immediately. This can be construed as payment for
the information received. The schedule of payment is as follows.
* 10 trumps = 10. 11 trumps = 15. 12 trumps = 20. And so on (5
more for each additional trump).
* 3 matadors = 10. 4 matadors = 15. 5 matadors = 20. And so on
(5 more for each additional matador).
* abundant kings or cavallerie: 15
* full kings or cavallerie: 10
* half kings or cavallerie: 5
One card may belong to several declarations. This is especially
true of the fool. All such declarations must be made and paid for
independently.
4. During play, but not in the final trick
When a player leads or plays a king to a trick, but does not win
the trick, he pays 5 to each of the other two players and 5 to
the king pot.
When a player leads or plays the pagat to a trick, but does not
win the trick, he pays 5 to each of the other two players and 5
to the pagat pot .
When a player wins a trick with the pagat, the other two players
each pay him 5 (but does not take anything from the pagat pot).
(A variant of the game exists which does not recognize this
payment. It is not clear which variant is the dominant one).
5. After the final trick
Tout
If one player has taken all 25 tricks, he has made Tout,
both the other active players pay him 85. In addition he
will receive payment from each player for the cards (see
below), and he also takes the contents of both pots, which
then both need foundation (unless there are simultaneous
occurences of Bagud).
Nolo
If just one player takes no tricks, he has made Nolo, and
the two other players pay him 25. When a player makes Nolo
there is no score for the last trick or the cards, and
Ulitimos do not count. The Nolo itself does not count if
another player wins Tout.
Pagat Ultimo.
If a player wins the last trick with the pagat, and there
is no Tout or Nolo, that player receives 45 from each of
the other two players. He also receives the contents of
the pagat pot, which then needs foundation.
King Ultimo.
If a player wins the last trick with a king, and there is
no Tout or Nolo, that player receives 40 from each of the
other two players. He also receives the contents of the
king pot, which then needs foundation (unless there is a
simultaneous king Bagud, see below).
Pagat Bagud.
If a player plays the pagat to the last trick without
winning the trick, that player pays 45 to each of the
other two players. He also doubles the contents of the
pagat pot. Payment is effected regardless of a
simultaneous Tout, Nolo. (Simultaneous Ultimo is not
possible.)
King Bagud
If a player plays a king to the last trick without winning
the trick, that player pays 40 to each of the other two
players. He also doubles the contents of the king pot.
Payment is effected regardless of a simultaneous Tout,
Nolo, or Ultimo.
Last Trick
If a player wins the last trick with a card other than a
king or the pagat, and there is no Tout, Nolo, or Bagud,
he receives 20 from each of the other two players.
When several payments concerning the last trick affect the king
pot, the contents of the pot is first counted; then, if there is
an Ultimo winner, he is paid; finally, any player owing for Bagud
pays the amount that was originally in the pot. Imagine, for
instance, that three kings are in the last trick (no Tout or
Nolo) and the king pot contains 135. The winner takes the 135,
and each of the two losers pays 135 to the pot, which then
contains 270.
Apparently the difference between 40 for King Ultimo and 45 for
Pagat Ultimo recognizes that winning the pagat in an earlier
trick would be worth 5 on its own.
6. After the final trick payments are settled (the count)
With the exception of the next dealer, who should be busy dealing
the other pack, the players count the value of their piles of
tricks, according to the following schedule:
* The pagat, mondo, the fool, and the four kings each count 4
points.
* The four queens each count 3 points.
* The four knights each count 2 points.
* The four jacks each count 1 point.
* Each trick taken counts 1 point.
* The skat counts 1 point.
This amounts to 78 points in total (7*4 + 4*3 + 4*2 + 4*1 + 25 +
1)
In practice, the player simply counts 1 point for every three
cards in the trick pile. The trick with the fool will have moved
one card from one pile to another, but that should not confuse
the counting player.
The total number of points counted for each player is compared
with 26. The difference is rounded off to the nearest multiple of
5. The corresponding number of tokens is paid to the new dealer
by a player with fewer than 26 points, or received from the new
dealer by a player with more than 26 points. The most common
payments are summarized in the table:
Point count
14-18 pay new dealer 10
19-23 pay new dealer 5
24-28 no payment
29-33 receive 5 from new dealer
34-38 receive 10 from new dealer
When there is a Nolo, there is no payment for point count.
7. After the final hand of the session has been played.
The contents of the two pots are divided evenly among the three
(or four) players.
____________________________________________________________
Proprieties
Tarok is a game of controlled communication among the players.
Hence it is a game with no conversation and no body language
during play. Information should be exchanged only through
declarations of card combinations and the play of the cards.
In two cases it is considered improper to play safe in order to
avoid Bagud: Consider the following end game with two tricks to
go:
Position 1:
A: diamond R, T7
B: heart R, diamond 9
C: club 7, club 2
If A is on lead, he can play the last trump and win his king
Ultimo. If C is on lead, A's Ultimo is automatic. In both these
cases, B will play the heart R and avoid Bagud. But if B is on
lead, his play of the heart R will allow A to win his king
Ultimo, whereas a diamond will drive out the diamond R,
preventing the Ultimo at the cost of B's Bagud. It is normally
accepted that in such a situation B is morally obliged to lose
his Bagud, even though it is not in his interest (especially if
the king pot is much richer than the pagat pot). The reasoning
behind this is that the player's first obligation is to protect
the values in the pots, and he therefore should not be holding on
to his king if he cannot guarantee that there will not be another
Ultimo.
Here are two other positions, still two tricks to go, B on lead:
Position 2:
A: T10, T7
B: heart R, diamond 9
C: heart 3, heart 4
Position 3:
A: T10, heart 3
B: heart R, diamond 9
C: T7, heart 4
Leading the diamond 9 leads to Bagud in position 2 and to Ultimo
in position 3. Leading the Heart king concedes the last trick,
gives up the chance of Ultimo, and removes the risk of Bagud. It
is normally accepted that if B has no information to distinguish
the two positions, he should take the chance, run the risk of
Bagud, and play the diamond 9.
Sometimes a player has a choice of going for a king Ultimo or a
pagat Ultimo. If there is a considerable difference in the value
of the two pots, it is considered proper to go for the most
profitable pot. However, it is not considered proper to seek
information about the contents of the pots during the play of a
hand.
____________________________________________________________
Logistics, The fourth player
Payment is made by means of chips or tokens. The king pot and the
pagat pot are maintained in specially designed cups, marked with
a crown and the figure 1 respectively. Or they are simply kept in
a normal cup and saucer, the king pot being the cup.
Usually two decks are used. While one is being dealt, the player
on the dealer's left shuffles the other deck and places it on his
own left.
Players should not pick up the cards until the dealer has
finished dealing and verified that he himself receives eight
cards at the end. The dealer does this by making the somewhat
confusing statement "the discard is ready" ("skaten er klar").
The position of the pots on the table signifies who the dealer
is. After play ends, the pots should be on the previous dealer's
right, which is the new dealer's left. Once all payments have
been settled, the new dealer pays for the privilege of dealing in
each pot and simultaneously moves the pots from his left to his
right, thus signaling that he has indeed paid for dealing. If
there has been an Ultimo or Bagud, he may be well into the deal
before all the payments of the previous deal has been settled.
Any doubt that arises as to whether the dealer has paid for his
privilege is resolved by the position of the pots.
A player who has not been dealt any trumps (the fool does not
count as a trump here) may declare a misdeal and require that the
same dealer shuffles and deals again.
Tarok can be played in a company of four. The player opposite the
dealer sits out, and takes over the obligation of shuffling the
extra pack, leaving it on his own left. In general, he may
observe the game but make no sound or gesture during play. The
fourth player does not participate in payments, except when an
empty cup needs foundation.
A fourth player joining a party of three can enter the game by
adding to each pot one third of what is already there.
The winner of a pot is responsible for ensuring the subsequent
foundation (when needed). If the pot is later found to be
deficient, he must complete the pot from his own funds.
____________________________________________________________
Irregularities during play - fines
If an irregularity occurs during play, the players must agree on
the severity, and a fine is then paid. If four players are in the
game, and no agreement can be reached, the fourth player can be
used as arbiter. There are four categories of irregularities:
Superficial. No fine.
Examples are
+ Wrong number of cards after dealing, when the player
with too many cards still has not seen the face of his
cards.
+ Revoke (failure to follow suit or failure to play a
trump on a trick where a player cannot follow suit),
provided that the revoke can be corrected without
divulging essential information and without unduly
influencing the play.
+ Naming the fool in a suit that cannot be followed.
+ Declarations can be corrected without penalty until the
opening lead; but only if the correction does not
divulge essential information. (It is acceptable to
correct a declaration of 12 trumps to 11, but not to
correct a declaration of 10 trumps to "pass").
Minor. 5 in each pot.
Examples are
+ Failure to move the pots after paying for dealing.
+ Wrong number of cards dealt in such a way that the cards
must be redealt. (Same dealer)
Major. 20 in each pot. Play continues.
Examples include
+ Making a declaration before the dealer has discarded and
made his declarations.
+ Lead out of turn. The lead is taken back.
+ Premature play of a card. The card cannot be taken back.
+ Calling for the fool when it has already been played.
Irrecoverable. 40 in each pot. Play abandoned. New player deals.
Examples include
+ Improper discarding. Cannot be corrected once the player
to the right of the dealer makes his declarations.
+ Irrecoverable revoke.
+ Errors in declarations that are not superficial. The
bonus received for the wrong declaration is paid back.
The error is not penalized if discovered after all
payments have been made at the end of play.
+ A player holds the wrong number of cards, as discovered
during play (i.e., after the opening lead has been
made).
____________________________________________________________
Danish Tarok compared with other Tarot games
For readers who have a general knowledge of other tarot games,
the game can be summarized in these terms:
1. Danish Tarok is a game for three players using the full 78
card pack. It is unlike most modern tarot games in that there
is no bidding and no formal partnerships. However, an
informal alliance often forms against the player with the
strongest cards.
2. It is the last surviving member of a group of games, typified
by Großtarok, which were played throughout Germany, and in
many neighbouring countries from the late 18th century and
through most of the 19th century.
3. The fool is used as an excuse, not as the highest trump: the
fool can never take a trick and can be played instead of
following suit.
4. Scoring is dominated by special pots that are awarded to a
player winning Ultimo (i.e. making the final trick with a
king or the pagat), but other payments among the players are
frequent. The bonuses and penalties are such that winning
Ultimo, or conversely, preventing other players from winning
Ultimo, is the major purpose of the game, overshadowing all
other purposes. Still, tricks taken and counting cards have
some value.
5. Normal tarot-style rules for leading, following, and trumping
apply. French Tarot players should note that there is no
obligation to play higher when playing a trump; also that the
ranking of the spot cards has not been rationalised as it has
in France; the traditional order has been preserved, with the
red suit spot cards ranking in reverse order.
____________________________________________________________
References
1. Emil Wolff: Tarok. København: H. Hagerups Forlag 1899.
2. Oberstløjtnant R. L. Borch: Tarok. En vejledning i Spillets
Regler og Anvendelse. 1924. Reprinted 1959 by "Tarokklubben
af 1959".
3. J. V. V. Hermansen: Tarok. Published 1943.
4. H. J. Møller: Tarok: En vejledning i det ædle kortspil.
København: Strubes forlag 1988.
Reference 2 has been used here to resolve disagreements among the
sources regarding the finer points of the rules.
____________________________________________________________
Go to Danish Tarok Strategy Page
____________________________________________________________
Return to General Index of Card Games site
____________________________________________________________
This page is maintained by John McLeod
(john@pagat.demon.co.uk).
Last updated 21st May 1996